2 Kings 10

And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,

Ahab was a proud father to seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu, with a heavy heart, penned letters to Samaria, addressing the leaders of Jezreel, the wise elders, and those who nurtured Ahab's children. He wrote,

Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

As soon as you receive this letter, realize that you're not alone. Your master's sons are with you, along with chariots and horses. You're protected, surrounded by a fortified city and armor.

Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

Choose the finest among your master's sons, place him on his father's throne, and passionately defend your master's legacy.

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

Overwhelmed with fear, they cried out, "Two kings fell before him, how can we possibly stand against him?"

And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

The leaders of the house, city, elders, and caretakers of children reached out to Jehu. They pledged their loyalty, promising to follow his commands. They refused to crown a new king, entrusting Jehu to make the best decisions for them.

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

He penned another letter, saying, "If you truly belong to me and listen to my words, cut off the heads of your master's sons and bring them to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow." The king's sons, all seventy of them, were with the city's nobles who raised them.

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

When they received the letter, they heartlessly murdered the king's seventy sons. Their severed heads were cruelly placed in baskets and sent to Jezreel, a horrifying sight to behold.

And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.

A messenger arrived, breathless and said, "The king's sons...their heads have been delivered." He replied, his voice cold, "Arrange them in two piles by the city gate. Let them remain there till dawn."

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

As dawn broke, he stepped out, standing before everyone. His voice echoed, "You are all good people. Yes, I admit, I plotted against my master and ended his life. But who among us is responsible for the death of all these others?"

Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

Understand this, not a single word that God promised about Ahab's house will be left unfulfilled. Everything God said through Elijah has indeed happened.

So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

Jehu, filled with determination, wiped out every last member of Ahab's family in Jezreel, including his powerful allies, his relatives, and his spiritual advisors, leaving no one alive.

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

He stood up, left, and journeyed to Samaria. There, he found himself at the bustling shearing house along the way.

Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

Jehu encountered relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked, "Who are you?" They replied, "We are Ahaziah's relatives, on our way to greet the king and queen's children."

And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

He commanded, "Capture them alive." So, they did, only to mercilessly kill all forty-two men at the pit of the shearing house. Not a single soul was spared.

And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

After he left that place, he unexpectedly met Jehonadab, Rechab's son, who was coming to greet him. He warmly welcomed him and asked, "Is your heart in harmony with mine?" Jehonadab replied, "Yes, it is." He then said, "If so, join me." And with that, he extended his hand, Jehonadab took it, and together they climbed into the chariot.

And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

He invited, "Join me, witness my passion for the LORD." They then escorted him onto his chariot.

And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

When he reached Samaria, he eliminated all who were left of Ahab's line, fulfilling God's prophecy given to Elijah, leaving nothing of Ahab.

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

Jehu called everyone around and declared, "Ahab may have worshipped Baal a bit, but I, Jehu, will devote myself to him even more."

Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

Summon all of Baal's prophets, servants, and priests. No one should be missing, for I have a significant offering for Baal. Anyone absent will not survive. Jehu, however, had a cunning plan to eliminate Baal's followers.

And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

Jehu commanded, "Announce a grand gathering for Baal!" And so, it was announced.

And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

Jehu sent a call across all of Israel, summoning every follower of Baal. Not a single one was absent. They filled Baal's temple, from wall to wall, it was brimming with devotees.

And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

He instructed the man in charge of the wardrobe, "Bring out robes for all who worship Baal." And so, he did, providing them with their ceremonial attire.

And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.

Jehu and Jehonadab, Rechab's son, stepped into the temple of Baal. They told the Baal worshippers, "Check around, make sure there's no one here who serves the Lord. Only Baal's followers should be present."

And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

As they prepared to make sacrifices and offerings, Jehu stationed eighty men outside. He warned them, "If any of the men I've captured escape, the one who allows it will pay with his own life."

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

Once he finished the burnt offering, Jehu ordered the guards and captains, "Go, eliminate them all; let none escape." They obeyed, striking them down with their swords. Afterward, they discarded the bodies and headed towards the city of Baal's temple.

And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

They courageously removed the idols from Baal's temple and passionately set them ablaze.

And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

They passionately destroyed the idol of Baal, demolished his temple, and transformed it into a public restroom, a change that still stands today.

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

With fiery determination, Jehu eradicated the presence of Baal from Israel.

Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

Despite Jeroboam's sinful influence on Israel, Jehu couldn't break away from it. He continued to worship the golden calves in Bethel and Dan.

And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

The Lord spoke to Jehu, pleased with his actions. "You've done well, Jehu, acting justly and fulfilling my desires against Ahab's house. As a reward, your descendants up to the fourth generation will rule Israel."

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

Despite knowing God's laws, Jehu didn't fully commit to them. He continued to follow Jeroboam's sinful ways, leading Israel astray.

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

During that time, God started to lessen Israel's power and Hazael attacked them throughout the entire land of Israel.

From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

His attacks reached across the Jordan to the east, through all the land of Gilead, home of the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer by the flowing Arnon River through Gilead and on to Bashan.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Isn't all of Jehu's life, his deeds, and his strength, recorded in the history book of Israel's kings?

And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

Jehu joined his ancestors in eternal rest, laid to peace in Samaria's sacred soil. His son Jehoahaz, stepping into his shoes, took over the reigns of the kingdom.

And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

Jehu ruled Israel from Samaria with a reign that spanned a heartfelt twenty-eight years.